‘Hunt’ novels reveal life of SEAL Team VI

Don Mann with Ralph Pezzullo writes a series of novels about Seal Team Six. These “Hunt” books are based on a warrior’s point of view. Readers are left to wonder if it is really fiction since the circumstances of the mission appear realistic and probable.

It is obvious that the author draws upon his experiences, considering Mann was a member of Seal Team Six for more than eight years and a SEAL for more than 17 years. He worked in countless covert operations, operating from land, sea and air. He participated in highly classified missions all over the globe, including Somalia, Panama, El Salvador, Colombia, Afghanistan and Iraq.

“The stories are based on small, top secret ops where a handful of people participate in a clandestine covert war behind enemy lines,” he noted to blackfive.net. “Everything we put in our books are things that could happen. I made sure that all the Seals in the book are based off of friends of mine who I worked within the Seal Community.”

The main character, Tom Crocker, is a patriot who loves his country and hates the enemy. He is emotionally tied to his teammates and when one of them dies so does a part of his soul. He regrets having to leave his wife and daughter, yet believes the missions take precedence and is unwilling to retire. What makes the books even more believable is that Mann includes how the spouses of the Seals must endure long absences, being single moms and being alone — which leads many times to divorce.

Recently published is the fourth book, “Hunt the Jackal,” and the fifth book, “Hunt The Fox.” The authors over several books focus on either Islamic terrorists or the drug cartels. The former has Crocker and team sent into Mexico to hunt down a dangerous cartel that has kidnapped a senator’s wife and child. The latter has the Seal Team Six sent to Syria to secure canisters of Sarin gas before they fall into the wrong hands.

Mann is hoping that readers will get a feel for what the Seals must go through. He emphasized his belief with the quote in the fourth book: “Aren’t the terrorists we fight against the same as thieves who are trying to steal our freedoms and liberties?”

“Before the War on Terror, there were obvious enemies and threats,” he directly noted to blackfive.net. “Arab terrorist groups like ISIS and the drug cartels use the same tactics: thriving on chaos, beheading, and cowardly putting innocent women and children into the conflict.”

Similar to Dalton Fury who writes Delta Force thrillers, Mann and Pezzullo created a series of stories surrounding Seal Team Six. The “Hunt” series allows readers to get a glimpse of America’s elite fighting force missions and experiences. They give real insight into the hurdles, practices and lives of this band of warriors regarding black-op missions.